Dread Knot - Yarn Necklace

Greetings! Here is an in depth look at how I made what I am now referring to as the 'Dread Knot'. Why such an awesome name? Because I decreed it. >:D

This was an experiment that I am rather pleased with. Very classy, but cozy and awesome. I wanted to make a chunky scarf/necklace thing without knitting for weeks on end. This is the result. :D

I chose 3 colours of yarn that I thought had both good contrast and went well together. The yarn I chose was a thick soft yarn that reminded me a bit of dreadlocks.

I looped the yarn around in circles alternating the colours until I found the right combination, length and thickness. I made the main colour purple, with green as secondary and white/cream as the accent.  I made sure there was enough left at the ends to knot it and finish it off, while still hanging where I wanted it to.

I separated the colours and then cut the loops into strands all approximately the same length. 

I divided the yarn into 3 equal groups with varying amounts of each colour. The knots on the end is a bad idea. I tied them too tight and it was a bit of an effort to get them undone, damaging the ends of the yarn more quickly.

I tied an elastic band around the 3 groups and twisted them around until I found the look I was going for. I then tied the other end with an elastic band. 

I flattened it out and used bias tape to sew the ends together so it wouldn't fall apart. The bias tape acted as a barrier to prevent the yarn from getting sucked into the sewing machine.

I then hand stitched the ends into circles, so they were more compact and easier to work with.

I found a large wooden bead and braided it into a sort of rope to wrap around and cover the bias tape. The bead would act as a fastener, as I made a loop for the other end of the scarf.  These 'ropes' hide the bias tape and finish the piece.

And there you have it. I don't think the knots for the fasteners are quite as firm as I would like, but as I said: it's an experiment.

This project used only about 1/3 to 1/2 of the yarn I bought, so with the 3 skeins, you can make more than one scarf. I'm thinking about making one for myself... :D

It can be worn in a few different ways: you can put the knot at the front, or the back, and twisting it to different degrees gives it a different look.